Men's Basketball 1/3/2011 9:00:00 AM MSU Sports Information

Game Day: #21 Mustangs go for 500th win at Ligon Coliseum

Setting the Stage

No. 21 Midwestern State opens Y2K11 with a shot at a milestone.

The Mustangs go for their 500th win at D.L. Ligon Coliseum Monday night against Newman (Kan.).

Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. or 25 minutes following the conclusion of the women's game which begins at 6.

Where to Find the Game

100.9 BOB FM - The broadcast features the play-by-play voice of two-time Lone Star Conference Broadcaster of the Year Bill Powers.
On the Web - BOB-FM's audio broadcast is simulcast on BOBradio.fm. Link

Live Stats - Live stats are available courtesy of MSUMustangs.com. Link
LSC Scoreboard - MEN WOMEN

About the Mustangs

GOING FOR 500 The Mustangs' next home win will be their 500th at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. MSU averages 12.3 wins and just three losses a season in its venerable home and boasts an impressive .802 winning percentage in now its 42nd year of playing home games in the historic venue.

STREAKING AGAIN Midwestern State has won 10-straight games since falling in the season opener against Fort Hays State at the South Central Region Challenge in Bartlesville, Okla. It's the fourth time in the last three seasons the Mustangs have won at least as many games in a row. MSU boasted multiple 10-game winning streaks last season enjoying the best start in school history at 14-0, then carried a 10-game run into Elite Eight before bowing to St. Cloud State. The Mustangs had winning streaks of 10 and nine games during the 2008-09 campaign.

MORE STREAKING -- CROSSOVER VERSION The Mustangs have won their last 20 games against competition from the Lone Star Conference North Division dating back to a 56-55 loss at Northeastern State on Dec. 15, 2008. Midwestern is 5-0 this season with remaining games at Northeastern State on Jan. 6 and Central Oklahoma on Jan. 8. This marks the last season the LSC will compete in a divisional format as NSU and UCO will spend next season as an independent before heading to the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association while Southwestern Oklahoma, Southeastern Oklahoma and East Central are headed to the new Great American Conference. Texas A&M-Commerce and Cameron will remain in the Lone Star Conference.

HOME DOMINANCE Midwestern State is the owner of the third longest active home court winning streak in NCAA Division II at 35 games dating back to a loss to Dallas Baptist in the opener of the 2008-09 season. Findlay and West Liberty own longer active streaks in NCAA Division II at 60 and 41 games, respectively. The Mustangs have carried an 17.0-point average margin of victory while outscoring the opposition by an average of 84.4 points (2869 points in 34 games) to 67.6 (2297/34 games) during the second longest Ligon winning streak in school history.

MSU HITS THE CENTURY MARK Midwestern State has scored more than 100 points in each of its last two games including a 102-94 win over Texas A&M-Commerce on Dec. 20 before returning from the break to tally a 104-55 victory over Mid-America Christian. It was the first time MSU scored 100 points in consecutive games since it opened the 2003-04 season with a 103-41 win over Hillsdale Freewill Baptist and a 106-64 victory over Southwest Assemblies of God. If the Mustangs score 100 points Monday night against, it would be just the fifth in program history the teams has scored as many points in three consecutive games and the first since Jeff Ray's 1998-99 team won at St. Edward's 105-88, beat Southwest Assemblies of God 108-70 and fell to Hawaii-Hilo 105-102 from Dec. 9-20, 1998. Midwestern strung together four consecutive 100-point outing during the 1954-55 season beating North Texas (118-82 and 114-68) and Trinity (103-54 and 124-74) in consecutive games in the old Gulf Coast Conference.

MSU AIR SHOW Chris Hagan's scoring prowess has dominated the stat sheet this season for the Mustangs, but if ESPN took a stop at D.L. Ligon Coliseum the Mustangs would make the folks from Bristol happy with an unlimited supply of Top 10 worthy acrobatics. Five different MSU players have accounted for 44 dunks thus far this season as the Mustangs have accounted for jams in each of their last 10 games. Junior forward David Terrell leads the way with 17 and is followed closely by senior forward Charlie Logan at 15. Chris Buttermore is next in line with 6 followed by Darrick Thomas with 5 while Michael Loyd has one. Logan set the MSU standard with 50 slam dunks last season.

SPEAKING OF HISTORY Senior guard Chris Hagan poured in a school record 50 points leading Midwestern State to a 91-82 win on Dec. 13 at Cameron. He connected on 17 of 26 shots from the field including eight 3-pointers and was 8-of-10 from the free throw line to tally the most points in a single game in NCAA men's game this season. He became the first LSC player to score 50 points in a game since Central Oklahoma Eddie Robinson poured in 52 against Southwestern Oklahoma in 1999. Hagan matched Ray Schumann for the most points in consecutive games by scoring 28 points on Dec. 16 against Northwestern Oklahoma State with 78 points. Schumann poured in 39 in consecutive games at Trinity (Texas) on Jan. 14-15, 1954.

MORE ABOUT HAGAN The Sporting News Preseason All American has been on fire thus far this season. He leads the Lone Star Conference in scoring at 24.5 points a game. Hagan has led the Mustangs in scoring in 10 of 11 games this season and has scored at least 10 points in each of his last 15 games dating back to last season. He has tallied at least 20 points in his last five games and in eight games in 2010-11.

LOYD IS LOADING UP As one of the highly anticipated transfers coming into NCAA Division II this season, junior guard Michael Loyd appears to be turning the corner after transferring from BYU prior to this season. He poured in 20 points - all in the second half - to help the Mustangs to an 86-69 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State on Dec. 16, 2010 at Ligon Coliseum. Loyd has scored in double figures in eight games this season and is second on the squad averaging 13.4 points a game.

NEED 3? CALL DEUCE Junior guard Deuce Nichols has connected on at least two 3-pointers in each of his last five games while hitting on a 12-of-26 clip (.462) from beyond the arc during the stretch. He buried three treys at Southwestern Oklahoma on Dec. 11 to start the binge and followed with two at Cameron (12/13), three more against Northwestern Oklahoma (12/16) and two more against Texas A&M-Commerce (12/20). He was 1-of-12 from the 3-point arc in his first six games this season at MSU as he canned his first 3-ball against Fort Hays before misfiring on 11 straight heading into the latest streak.

DOING THE HEAVY LIFTING Midwestern State's front court quartet of senior Charlie Logan (7.0 points, 4.5 rebounds), junior David Terrell (7.4 points, 6.2 rebounds), junior Darrick Thomas (6.3 points, 5.8 rebounds) and junior Thomas Colbert (3.6 points, 4.7 rebounds) split time in the front court and are the key ingredients in helping MSU to a +8.2 rebounding edge. The quartet combines to shoot 56.1 percent from the field (111-of-198) with Thomas (.604), Terrell (.557) and Logan (.576) all ranking among conference leaders in individual field goal percentage.

ABOUT COACH MAC Grant McCasland is in his second year at the helm and is coming off of the most successful season in Midwestern State history. McCasland garnered NABC South Central Region and Lone Star Conference South Division Coach of the Year honors after leading the Mustangs to a 31-3 mark, a second-straight LSC title, a South Central Region championship and to the NCAA Division II Elite for the first time in program history. McCasland has already amassed a 41-4 mark as a four-year collegiate coach after a more than stellar run at Midland College where he led the Chaps to a 143-32 record in five seasons including an NJCAA national championship in 2007 and a runner-up showing in 2009.

About the Jets

Newman carries a five-game winning streak into Monday night's non-conference tilt at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

But the Jets have faced just one NCAA Division II team during the stretch taking a 96-89 win in double overtime against Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association bottom feeder Lincoln back on Nov. 27.

Newman then ran off home wins over Bethel, Tabor (in overtime), Manhattan Christian and McPherson (also in overtime).

The Jets (7-4) do own a 2-2 mark against Lone Star Conference competition this season with wins over Southwestern Oklahoma State and Angelo State and losses to West Texas A&M and Tarleton State.

Senior guard Keaton Schultz paces Newman with 15.1 points per game while pulling in 4.5 rebounds a game, while senior forward William Burdette tallies 12.5 points and 5.1 rebounds a contest.

The Jets score 78.2 points per game and allow 78.9 and have struggled on the glass this season by a -10.3 margin.

About the Series

Midwestern State meets Newman (Kan.) for the second time on the hardwood Monday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

The Mustangs overcame a 12-point first half deficit to claim a 72-65 win over the Jets on Nov. 21, 2009 last season at Fugate Gymnasium.

Newman will make its first appearance at Ligon Coliseum and could be the victim for MSU's 500th win at the hallowed facility.

MSU owns a 63-43 all-time edge over the current membership of the Heartland Conference marks of 27-19 against Dallas Baptist, 13-14 against St. Mary's, 16-8 against St. Edward's, 5-0 against Oklahoma Panhandle State, 2-1 versus Texas-Permian Basin and 0-1 against Texas A&M International.

The Mustangs are 40-11 versus Heartland foes at D.L. Ligon Coliseum, but it was Dallas Baptist that handed MSU its last home loss by an 88-83 margin on Nov. 15, 2008.

-- MSUMustangs.com --

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Players Mentioned

#1 Chris Hagan: G; 5' 9"; Senior

#23 Charlie Logan: F; 6' 7"; Senior

#45 Thomas Colbert: F; 6' 7"; Junior

#10 Michael Loyd: G; 6' 1"; Junior

#5 Deuce Nichols: G/F; 6' 2"; Junior

#24 David Terrell: F; 6' 5"; Redshirt Junior

#21 Darrick Thomas: F; 6' 7"; Junior

#35 Chris Buttermore: F; 6' 5"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#1 Chris Hagan
: 5' 9"; Senior
: G

#23 Charlie Logan
: 6' 7"; Senior
: F

#45 Thomas Colbert
: 6' 7"; Junior
: F

#10 Michael Loyd
: 6' 1"; Junior
: G

#5 Deuce Nichols
: 6' 2"; Junior
: G/F

#24 David Terrell
: 6' 5"; Redshirt Junior
: F

#21 Darrick Thomas
: 6' 7"; Junior
: F

#35 Chris Buttermore
: 6' 5"; Junior
: F